Printed picture mat sheet



April 18, 1950 N. G. HORWITT PRINTED PICTURE MAT SHEET Filed July 2, 1948 Patented Apr. 18, 1950 UNlTED; STATES PATENT- OFFICE 2,504,332 PRINTED-PICTUREMAET sneer- Nathan George Horwithlenox Mass. Application July 2, 1948*,Seria-l No. sans Claims.

The: present invention relates to mats for use in; framing or mounting pictures.

One object of: the invention is the. provision of a prefabricated mat sheet which may be readilyi fGlHIBddntOZQ. mati having an opening for a picture of: any one of a; series of sizes within a relatively wide ranges of the most frequently used picture sizes.

Another object isr'the provision of a mat sheet which may be readi ly formed' into a mat either for vertical pictures or for horizontal pictures, ia.'e;, for-pictures which should be framed or mounted with; their longer dimension extending either vertically or horizontally depending upon the format-or composition of the picture;

A further object i's'the provision of a mat sheet which may. bez-readily 'formed' into a plurality of picture mats' in unitary relation for back-to-back framing or mounting. of two pictures which may be either of the same size or of different sizes.

A further object is $0? prov-idea mat sheet for makingmats which: are-,sufliciently strong and. sturdy and yet comparatively thin and light so that a large number of mounted pictures canbe. easily-carried: from placeto place in a. portfolio" or packagewhic-h: is not bulky;

The above and other objects, features and advantages will be ful-ly unaderstood from the following, description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings which are to be con.- sidered as illustrative: of the invention but not in. limitation thereof.

In; 'thedrawings? Fig; -1-. isauplan view of a mat sheet embodyingthe present invention:

Fig. 21s a front perspective; view of a picturemounting illustrating: one manner of utilizing the mat sheet of the presentinvention; and

Fig; 3- is a'sectional view-ona'larger scale on tl'ie l-ine: -33 of Fig; 2.

Referring -now=to the drawings in detail, the mat sheet l9 embodying the present invention is preferably formed offpaper: butmay be made: of other suitable sheet material. The mat sheet is preferably thinner than: the usual picture mat which is formed'of paper: for example, "but'without. limitation, matv sheet is; desirably made of.

opaque non-coated paper- FStOQk of 1'20-1b.. basis hock-paper weight.

Sheet-111* comprises sections l2- and' l4-disposedat; opposite. sidesof a central fold line It; Said sections are:- preferably of the same size and shape so-"that when: they arefolded oneovertheother at" told line. ;I.-6-=-their" corresponding side edges are inregistrywitlr each other; ,As here shown.

section P2 is intended tobe used for formingsa mat for a. vertical picture, and section I4 is in tended to be used; for forming a mat for a horiszontalpicture- Thesurfacesof these sectionsare preferably provided: with vertical and horizontal co-ordinate lines printed'thereon, the adjacent parallel lines of each section being preferably; but not necessarily, one-fourth of 'one' inch apart; The: vertical lines of section l2 are indicated-at t8. and? the horizontal lines: of' said section are indicated at'l'il: the vertical lines of section II are indicated at 22 andthehorizontal lines at 241 Vertical-picture"mounting section I2 is prov-ided with a series of rectangular outlines 26, 28; 30, 132"- and 3d of different sizes, respectively; These outlines are printed' or otherwise delineated on the mat sheet and: they correspond in dimen-' sions' to those. of the most frequently mounted pictures;v particularly photographic prints. Such dimensionsiare usually 4 x 5'; 5x 7, 8 x 10.9'x12; and 111 x" 14', inches, for' outlines 26 28, 30, 32, and 34, respectively, butof course may be different; The margin of section l2 which is outwardly' beyond outline 34 and which is provided with the co-ordihatelihes l8 and [9 enables said section to be used for larger pictures. The outli nes"2'6-= to 34 are symmetrically arranged respect to a common center point 36. The latter is the pointof intersection of the orthogonal vertical line 38" and the horizontal line 43' which are at rig-ht. angles to each other. Said lines are sealed in inches, forming vertical and horizontal scales the zero' point of each scale being at center point 36', with the scale on each line increasing in each of the two-directions along said line from said zero and center point 36. Each of the out lines is provided with a cutting line indication H wh-ich is preferably a dotted line printed or otherwise suitably delineated on the mat sheet. Said cutting line indications are disposed within'their-companion picture-size outlines 26 to 34; respectively; in appropriately spaced lateral relation thereto, tlie'spacing being preferably about onerfourth ofone inch. The picture-size outlines and the cutting-line indications may be printed in contrasting colors, say black and red, respeclively, and the scale lines 38 and llI'may be printedin. at different color, say gray. The coordinate OTOIthOgOIIaI. lines i8 and I9' are preferablythin and may be black or any other color. The scale lines 38 and were conveniently the thickest of all. thezliIlGSySMdr the picture-size outlines are next" in thickness. 1

It willbeanotedthat theco-ordinate-lined part orrsection: I12 is. spaced vertically from the lower edge 44 of the latter as indicated by the blank space 46. Thus center point 36 is closer to the top edge 48 of section l2 than it is to the lower edge 34. Accordingly, the opening, which is provided in the mat by cutting it at the cutting line indication 52 within the picture-size outline, is properly positioned with its upper edge closer to the upper edge of the mat or frame than is the lower edge of said opening in respect to the lower edge of the mat or frame, which position of the opening is in accordance with recognized principles of picture mounting or framing as will be readily understood. Referring now to horizontal picture section It, it will be evident from the drawings that this section is of the same character as section l2 except that it is displaced 90 in relation to section l2 on mat sheet Ill. The parts of section l4 not yet specifically referred to are designated by the same reference numerals as the corresponding parts, respectively, of section l2 but with the letter 11 added. Accordingly, further description ofsection M in detail is unnecessary. ;In order to form a mat from mat sheet In, it is merely necessary to cut the same to provide the picture opening. Thus, assuming that it is desired to prepare the mat for a 4" x vertical" picture, the mat sheet is out along the line 42 within the outline 26 of section l2, forming an opening of the appropriate size for such picture.- Then, the picture is adhesively secured in posi-' tion, the adhesive being applied between the picture-size outline 26 and the edge of the opening. The borders Or margins between the picture-size outlines and their companion cutting line indications 42 may be coated with a suitable adhesive, a removable paper covering being provided, if necessary, so that the mat sheets I 0 may be made and sold with the adhesive already applied, for the convenience of the user. This adhesive may be applied, desirably, in the form of bands of about one-fourth inch wide along or parallel to the scale lines '38, 4D and 38a, a. It will be understood that the lined surface of the mat sheet is at the back of the mat and that the front surface of the mat sheet, and of the method formed therefrom, is plain or may be provided with a suitable surface design or ornamentation, if so desired. It will be noted that the centering of the picture in relation to the openin of the mat is facilitated by the scale lines 38 and 40 and by the vertical and horizontal co-ordinate lines. The mat for a horizontal picture is prepared in the same way from section 14. Also, it will be understood that two mats in unitary relation for mounting two pictures in back-to-back relation may be prepared from the same mat sheet I0. If only one picture is to be mounted, the un-used mat section may be cut off at the fold line l6, for separate use in making another mat, but ordinarily it is much more preferable and advantageous to leave the un-used section attached to the mat and to fold the same over the back of the picture as a back cover therefor.

The picture or pictures thus mounted on the mat or mats formed from sections 12 and M, as the case may be, may be left without framing, as for example, when the mounted pictures are to be kept in a portfolio or carried from place to place for exhibition or sale, or such mounted picture may be covered with a glass plate or the like, as indicated at in Fig. 2. When the pictures are mounted back-to-back as jshownin Fig. 3, a glass plate 50 may be provided overeach of the two mats. These glass covered pictures, mounted on their mats, may be suspended by adjustable brackets 52 such as those shown for example in my U. S. Patent No. 2,209,972.

While I have shown and described the: presently preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that changes may be made without departing from the underlying idea or principles of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A pre-fabricated mat sheet for making a picture mat, said sheet being formed of sheet material and having on its back surface a plurality of picture-size outlines of different sizes for pictures of difierent sizes, respectively, said outlines being symmetrically arranged on said surface with respect to a common center point, and a plurality of mat-opening cutting line indications on said surface of the sheet, one for each of said picture-size outlines, located inwardly of said picture-size outlines, respectively.

2. A pre-fabricated mat sheet for making a picture mat, said sheet being formed of sheet material fold-able about a central line and having thereon two sets of picture-size outlines, each of said sets of outlines comprising a plurality of picture-size outlines of different sizes for pictures of different sizes, respectively, one of said sets of outlines being disposed on the sheet at one side of said fold'line and the other of said sets of outlines being disposed at the other side of said fold line, the outlines of each set being symmetrically arranged on said sheet with respect to a common center point, and a plurality of mat-opening cutting line indications on said sheet, one for-each of said picture-size outlines,

located inwardly of said picture-size outlines, re-

spectively.

3. A pre-fabricated mat sheet for making a picture mat, said sheet being formed of sheet material foldable about a central line and having thereon two sets of picture-size outlines, each of said sets of outlines comprising a plurality of picture-size outlines of different sizes for pictures of different sizes, respectively, one of said sets of outlines being disposed on the sheet at one side of said fold line and the other of said sets of outlines being disposed at the other side of said fold line, the outlines of each set being symmetrically arranged on said sheet with respect to a common center point, and a plurality of mat-opening cutting line indications on said sheet, one for each of said picture-size outlines, located inwardly of said picture-size outlines, respectively, all of said outlines being on the same surface of said sheet.

4. A pre-fabricated mat sheet for making a picture mat for either vertical or horizontal mounting of a picture, said sheet being of greater length than width and foldable about a central line extending along the width of the sheet, said sheet having thereon -'two sets of picture-size outlines disposed on said sheet at opposite sides, respectively, of said fold line, each of said sets of outlines comprising a plurality of picture-size outlines of different sizes for pictures of different sizes, respectively, the outlines of each set being symmetrically arranged on said sheet with respect to a common center point, each of said outlines being rectangular with the adjacent sides of each rectangle of unequal length and the longer sides of the rectangles extending widthwise of the sheet, said center point of one ofsaid sets of outlines being located midway between said fold line and the nearest opposite widthwise edge of the sheet, and said center point of the other of said set of outlines being located midway between two opposite lengthwise edges of the sheet, whereby the outlines of one of said sets are arranged for vertical mounting of the picture and the outlines of the other set are arranged for the horizontal mounting of the picture.

5. A ire-fabricated mat sheet for making a picture mat for either vertical or horizontal mounting of a picture, said sheet being of greater length than width and foldable about a central line extending along the width of the sheet, said sheet having thereon two sets of picture-size outlines disposed on said sheet at opposite sides, respectively; of said fold line, each of said sets of outlines comprising a plurality of picture-size outlines of difierent sizes for pictures of different sizes, respectively, the outlines of each set being symmetrically arranged on said sheet with respect to a common center point, each of said outlines being rectangular with the adjacent sides of each rectangle of unequal length and the longer sides of the rectangles extending widthwise of the sheet, said center point of one of said sets of outlines being located midway between said fold line and. the nearest opposite widthwise NATHAN GEORGE HORWITT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 524,301 Benedict Aug. 14, 1894 855,121 McCormick May 28, 1907 1,261,133 Kidd Apr. 2, 1918 1,467,108 Hodgson Sept. 4, 1923 1,593,301 I-Iavemeyer July 20, 1926 1,805,436 Barnard May 12, 1931 1,943,022 Koster July 9, 1934 2,184,007 Staehle Dec. 19, 1939 2,385,541 Rinn Sept. 25, 1945 

